Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.

THE XX | Coexist
Young Turks (2012)
Selected by Andy Healy

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For their second album, The xx built on the intimacy of their eponymous 20109 debut and reached for broader sonic horizons. The result is an album that is equal parts haunting, moving, melancholy and hopeful. Romy Madley Croft’s vocals penetrate your soul and seem to pull out your deepest secrets, while Oliver Sim acts as the perfect counterpoint balancing lyrical conversations between the two. With exceptional production from Jamie Smith (xx), new sonicscapes are presented to wander and lose yourself in. In a year of heavy hitting albums, this understated gem became a must hear in 2012.

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